The Way We List Now

In today's harried society, maintaining 'to do' lists has become a competitive sport, inspiring an array of new products. Katherine Rosman on how to avoid becoming a slave to them.

By

Katherine Rosman

Updated Sept. 29, 2006 12:01 a.m. ET

Let's jot down a few reasons why lists are the defining organizing principle of the 21st century.

In the era of Google, Wikipedia and TiVo there is too much information and content and not enough time. Mothers leaving executive jobs to stay home with their children are embracing corporate time-management techniques to run their households. As BlackBerry usage eradicates complete sentences, items that can be quickly ticked off have become the accepted shorthand. In a post-Sept. 11, post-Hurricane Katrina world, people see...